Over the past few months I’ve started to learn a lot more about the music industry, the time, the passion, and the dedication which is needed to make a career in this scene. When you hear the songs and watch the videos, everything seems really glamorous and easy, but I’ve come to learn that it’s far from that.

On a recent trip to Jersey to visit my “boss lady” I was hooked on this one track called “I Got You Hooked” by Baltimore-based artist, KO The Timeless. The production, his flow, (and cough, cough…the hook) was a complete package – I had to get my hands on more of him!

KO was nothing more than fun and the interview was interesting too! We talked about a whole bunch of things from being “married” to forthcoming projects, so continue and on and see what KO The Timeless had to say…

Vimal Patel, aka DJ Desiplaya, aka The International Idol (aka can we stop with the names, ha), is the founder of Xplicit Desi Vibes – hold your breath – the #1 South Asian remix and production group in the United States. When they release a new mixtape, it becomes my latest playlist for the gym! Sorry, but I can’t help to turn up the volume to XDV while hanging out at my friends’ dorm at the University of Rochester!

“We all have a strong passion for music! Everyone in XDV has a passion for music and love what they do,” asserted DJ Desiplaya. Hailing from Oregon, this young and energetic producer has got the skills, determination, and talent needed to make it in this scene!

Having started DJing and mixing at the age of 16, he knew that music was something that he would spend ample time dedicated towards. Till date, his favorite XDV memory has been, “the chance to work with such astounding talent in the Desi scene.” I could sit here and list all the artists Vimal has worked with, but then what would you read in the article!

After many compliments and positive feedback from his latest mix, “My Kinda Girl” by Raghav and featuring Lil’ Wayne, I sat down with this producer on the rise to talk about his past, present, and future and how he can balance it all in between school, work, and of course…the ladies!

“It’s not something you’re taught or told, just something you gradually come by. Looking back on my 21 years on this planet I can definitely see, as random events may seem, everything has a time and a place; a plan if you would. Who’s in control of this plan? Who knows. Who cares.”

That’s what rapper Kaly (Kunal Patel) asserts.

“Rhyme is what I do. It’s what I am.

It is what keeps me awake until the earliest hours of the morning and what allows me to sleep so peacefully at night (with the lights on of course). I rhyme to educate, to have fun, to bullshit. I rhyme well, fuck that, I rhyme the best. Confidence is 99% of the game and I am that good. I think in rhyme, I write in rhyme. I rhyme to show you that it is possible to reach a dream, but only if you have the heart for it. After 21 years of fighting anyone and everyone who said I couldn’t rhyme or would never make it, I’m finally here.”

Kaly is doing just that. He’s talented, fierce, and will stop at nothing less than successful. Just loving the fact that he’s a fellow Patel and making his mark in the music scene, I had a chat with this rising rapper and it went something like this…

By: Tirusha Dave

Within 24-hours of the release of their latest mixtape, “Urban Desi,” the dynamic team, Xplicit Desi Vibes, reached 15,000+ downloads – a monumental experience which I can easily say, nobody has achieved.

Xplicit Desi Vibes founder, Vimal Patel – aka DJ Desiplaya – asserted, “Our Indian ethnicity has influenced our music a lot and it is something which we will always incorporate into our music. Without our Indian background, we wouldn’t be here remixing and producing music for our fans.” And for the fans it is! If you log onto their website, you’ll only see comments like, “album is SICK, good work,” or, “album is FIREEE son,” or even, “MAD PROPS on the Urban Desi mixtape, I co-sign as fire!”